Visiting NYC end of this week through weekend - interested in visiting outdoor farmers markets in Manhattan and Brooklyn - would appreciate suggestions

One of the biggest--some say the best--is the Union Square GreenMarket http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket
Many local chefs create menus around the availabilty of items there. Wednesday is the best day, in my opinion, but it's also on Monday, Friday, Saturday.

Many of the other markets in NYC are under the same GreenMarket program so look around that website

Do indoor food markets interest you too? 2 very different ones Eataly (I haven't been) and Chelsea Market (a favorite of mine) are not too far from Union Square and offer nice contrasts

Hey nyer: excellent suggestion, already looked it up and mapped/timed it, should be fun...I'm guessing you have a good pulse on the city? can you recommend microbrewery/eateries in that part of the city? either way, thanks

There's a farmer's market on Saturdays at the GAR plaza in Brooklyn (entrance of Prospect Park, near the library).

Bookmarking

Heartland Brewery has a restaurant right on Union Square. It's a local brewpub chain. The food is ok (burgers are actually quite good), but I think they have pretty good beer, and it's the closest place to the Union Square Green Market. There are a lot of better places to eat in the area depending on what you want.

Sorry Doug, Heartland and The Coffee Shop are two of the worst restaurants in the neighborhood.

For a burger-5 Napkin at 14th and 3rd Ave or Shake Shack in Madison Square Park

For a light lunch and great, great pastries-City Bakery

For fast and easy Asian noodles, nosiy and crowded-Republic right on the Square

And more a formal lunch, one of the best food values in the city at $29 prix fixe lunch.

http://tocquevillerestaurant.com/

I don't disagree that Heartland is not my favorite (and said as much), but the OP asked for a microbrewery, and it's the only one that I know of. You haven't really offered a viable alternative for what the OP is seeking. I do think the burgers there at Heartland Brewery are good.

Five Napkin is a tad better, and it has a lot of craft beers both on tap and in bottles, but they are scandalously expensive in my opinion. The food prices are fair.

Sorry, I only go to macrobreweries.

The best combo for lunch is the Black Iron but that is a 15 minute walk from Union Square.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/black-iron-burger-shop-new-york

That could be a good choice. I don't know it, but it does sound promising and won't have the same corporate feel as Heartland.

Give it a go Doug. It is a neighborhood place that kas slowly developed a larger following. Unfortunately it is not that big.